Durham Gop Nominates Raymond Kalinowski To Run For First Selectman

July 16, 1997|By CHARLES STANNARD; Courant Correspondent

DURHAM — With a pledge to be a good listener and offer a fresh viewpoint, former U.S. Secret Service agent Raymond C. Kalinowski was nominated by local Republicans Tuesday night as the party's candidate for first selectman.

About 35 party members nominated Kalinowski and other members of the GOP slate in a unanimous voice vote during a caucus held amid red, white and blue balloons in the library at Coginchaug Regional High School. The caucus also nominated incumbent Selectman Gene Brown to run with Kalinowski. Brown is running for a third term.

Town Clerk Laura Francis was nominated for a full two-year term in the office she assumed last May after the death of longtime Republican Town Clerk Marjorie Hatch. Francis Korn, a former selectman, was nominated for a full term in the position of town treasurer, with incumbent Tax Collector Joanne Salva nominated for a ninth term.

Kalinowski, a 55-year-old Middlefield native who moved to Durham in 1973 after serving with the U.S. Secret Service, said he would run a ``positive campaign geared to the issues expressed by the people of Durham.''

Declaring he is ``not a politician,'' Kalinowski said he would offer a ``fresh viewpoint and an open mind'' to town government.

Brown, who has served two terms on the board of selectmen after losing to Democratic First Selectman Henry Robinson in 1993, said being a minority selectman on the three- member board ``is a tough place to govern from.'' He predicted Kalinowski would be a ``facilitator in town hall.''

Robinson is not seeking a third term.

Francis, who served five years as assistant town clerk under Hatch, was nominated by Mary DiMella, her predecessor as assistant town clerk. DiMella said Francis would bring ``enthusiasm, friendliness and genuine concern'' to the office.

Francis said she accepted the nomination with ``mixed emotions'' after the loss of her mentor. She said Hatch has expressed hope that she would succeed her as town clerk.

The caucus nominated incumbent Ken Gregory and Kurtis Peterson for six-year terms on the board of finance, with former First Selectwoman Mary Jane Parsons nominated for a two-year vacancy on the finance board.

Nominated for planning and zoning commission were: incumbent Robert Francis, commission alternate Michael Trusty, and new candidates Henry Coe Jr., William LaFlamme and Bruce Tubby. David Foley and Allan Bradanini were nominated for planning and zoning commission alternates.

Vincent Marino and Jacqueline Snow were nominated for zoning board of appeals, with Scott Douglas nominated as alternate. Jane Mauro was nominated for board of assessment appeals.

The Democratic town committees will announce its candidate for first selectman at a July 22 endorsement session.